Changes coming to driver’s license renewal process

By the end of July, driver’s licenses and ID cards will not be issued at the end of the application/renewal process. People will be given temporary secure paper licenses and ID cards, which will be valid for 45 days. If renewing, they will also be given their old driver’s license or ID card with a hole punched in it. New, more secure cards will be printed and sent from a single, central facility.

“The important thing is that the process won’t leave people without a means of identification, and they will have the necessary credentials to board commercial airline flights,” said Sen. Syverson. "This is all necessary because of a federal mandate that requires all states to comply with a new set of ID standards.”

The new system for issuing driver’s licenses and ID cards will bring the state closer to compliance with the federal REAL ID act, which is a federal law aimed at creating more consistent, standardized and secure driver’s licenses.

The US Department of Homeland Security has stated that all Illinois driver’s licenses and ID cards can be used to board commercial airlines until Jan. 22, 2018.